One of the methods of recording music data is to record the music data recorded on a CD (Compact Disc) or the like, into a recording apparatus of large storage capacity, such as a hard disc drive, which can easily record additional data and easily rewrite data. Recording apparatuses having hard discs can be incorporated in to audio systems for use in cars. The car audio system is not user-friendly in that it is difficult for the user to replace the recording medium, such as a CD, with another while driving the car. However, if a hard disc is incorporated into the car audio system and music data are recorded on the hard disc and managed, the user can save time for exchanging the recording media.
The music data recorded on a recording apparatus of large storage capacity can be reproduced by means of car audio systems. The display device of the car audio system shows information, such as the titles of musical works, managed in any car audio system. The user can select any desired one of the musical works, the information about which is shown by the display device, and can thereby have the selected work reproduced.
The display device of the car audio system will be described, with reference to FIG. 1. FIGS. 1A and 1B show a part of the display section that is mounted on a car audio system. FIG. 1A depicts the display section of the front panel 100 of the car audio system. As seen from FIG. 1A, the display device 101 displays a list 102 of the musical works that are recorded in the large-capacity recording apparatus, such as a hard disc drive, incorporated in the car audio system. The information about the data file selected at present is reverse-displayed. In the instance illustrated in FIG. 1A, the data file selected is a music data file containing the information of “artist 2, title 2.” The user may rotate the jog roller 103 in the direction of the arrow or in the opposite direction to select any other data file shown in the list 102. Thus, the user can have the music data reproduced.
In this car audio system, music data can be recorded on the hard disc from the CD and tuner (not shown) that is incorporated in the car audio system. The user can add information, e.g., the title and the like, to the music data recorded on the hard disc. The information thus added is recorded on the hard disc, too. A method of editing character data in the process of writing the additional information will be explained, with reference to FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining how the user operates the front panel 100 to edit the additional information. The display device 101 displays the information to be added, so that the user may edit the information. The user may rotate the jog roller 103 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, or in the opposite direction to have any desired character data displayed. The user may push the jog roller 103 to select the character data displayed by the display device 101. The user can thus edit the character data displayed by the display device 101 and generate information to be added to the music data, such as the title of the music data. The additional information so generated can be recorded on the hard disc, along with the music data file. The display device 101 shows the additional information as a list 102.
Display devices for use in ordinary car audio systems, such as the one shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, does not have a large display screen. Generally, audio systems do not have a large display screen. This is because the function of displaying information is nothing more than an additional one to any audio system whose main function is to reproduce audio data. Inevitably, the display screen is limited in terms of size. So is the amount of information about music data (e.g., the title, recording date and the like) that can be displayed on the screen. It is therefore difficult for the display device shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to display various data items such as the recording date, together with the tile of the musical work.
As pointed out above, the display device incorporated in the car audio system displays the information added to the music data to be reproduced, such as the title of the musical work. And the user edits this information, while looking at the information displayed by the display device. With such a conventional audio system it becomes more difficult for the user to select a desired music data file as more and more music data files of similar names (i.e., the tiles of the musical works, added to the music data files) are recorded. To make it easy to distinguish the music data files, one from another, the user edits the additional information to change the tiles of the musical works or alter the order in which the musical works are recorded.
The display device mounted on such an audio system as described above has but a small screen and can display but a small amount of information. It is therefore hard for the user to edit information on the display screen. Since the display device has a small screen and can display but a limited amount of information, the user cannot easily know which directory holds which music data file. This is particularly so, if the music data is managed in the form of data files stored in a file system with a large-capacity recording apparatus such as a hard disc drive.
To edit the information to change the tiles of the musical works or alter the order in which the musical works are recorded, the user must manipulate the jog roller 103 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, thereby to edit the character data items, one by one. This requires much time and labor.